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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068644">two bros, chillin' in a hot tub...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lancegwenarthur/pseuds/lancegwenarthur'>lancegwenarthur</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, i dont remember the ep it's the hottub scene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:42:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>978</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lancegwenarthur/pseuds/lancegwenarthur</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>an alternate take on the hottub scene in honor of senior prom</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>two bros, chillin' in a hot tub...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yeah it's already on my tumblr from a while ago</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Green light reflecting off the water, green liquid rushing down their throats, a green feeling in Jughead’s stomach. Archie and Betty had kissed, and, while he wasn’t angry at either of them, he felt that the emotion now gripping him was even worse. Archie wasn’t supposed to hurt him. The entire point of Archie Andrews was to be ridiculously good, to try to help even the people he shouldn’t.</p><p>Jughead and Betty, Archie and Veronica were sacrosanct. Jughead didn’t know why, but it was imperative that these relationships stay intact. Some explosion threatened if the stasis was broken.</p><p>Veronica’s explaining how she got over the kiss, winding up to her diabolical plan, and Jughead doesn’t care about her personal journey. She probably got over it so fast because she only thinks of Archie as a pet. Archie had reached out of the water to help her into the hot tub, her hands already out to grab his, expecting his gallantry. Taking it for granted. </p><p>Then, Veronica says something that throws Jughead, already reeling, into a panic. He had expected her to try to find a way to let off steam, perhaps by swapping horrible secrets or even a wrestling match, but not this.</p><p>“Jughead should kiss Archie.”</p><p>“What?” Archie’s standard response to a new development.</p><p>“It’s only fair. Someone should kiss someone, and I’ve already kissed Betty.”</p><p>“Why don’t you and Jughead kiss?” Of course Archie would wonder that. “And what do you mean, you kissed Betty?”</p><p>“It was essential for securing us spots on the River Vixens. And none of us were dating at the time. As for me kissing Jughead, I just don’t think that’s the answer.”</p><p>Archie looked over at Jughead, seemingly searching for the mentioned answer. Jughead had only questions. Would they kiss? What would Veronica do if they didn’t? Would it actually help the tense atmosphere permeating the Lodge?</p><p>“Jughead, it’s up to you,” Archie said. It didn’t feel like it. It never had. Archie came and saved him, helped him when he couldn’t ask anyone else, was his best friend in his darkest times, and then he went away again. No matter how many miracles Archie worked, it seemed as though he could never fully integrate Jughead into the rest of his life. Jughead could only desperately keep his head above water until Archie had time and patience for him again. Archie could offer an unconditional favor and then look down on Jughead for being a Serpent. He was often the only one who could cheer him up, but this didn’t work when he was the one who had upset him.</p><p>The water constricts Jughead’s breathing. He feels too exposed without his hat.</p><p>What is the right answer to this question? </p><p>Jughead stands up in the shallow water, moves through the green light until he’s standing in front of Archie. Archie moves his legs apart so Jughead can move closer, but Jughead only moves his hands. He sets them on Archie’s stomach and then traces them up to his shoulders. No one in high school needs to be this muscular. But Archie thinks he does. To protect the ones he cares about.</p><p>Jughead doesn’t notice but he’s falling forward and then Archie brings his lips to his and Jughead doesn’t feel confused and conflicted and destroyed anymore. He feels the way he used to when he and Archie would splash around Sweetwater Swimming Hole when they were kids, or when they’d make up stories in a pillow fort in Archie’s living room. He feels the way he did when Archie said he always thought they’d move to New York together. He feels about a million times better than he ever remembers feeling, which might be pretty lame compared to normal people in normal towns, but as a Jones in Riverdale he’ll take it. He wraps his arms around Archie and tries to make this kiss a foundation. He’s realized, in about ten seconds of locking lips, that this is the only thing with a chance to hold him together.</p><p>Archie is holding Jughead’s face so carefully, so reverently, that Jughead thinks that maybe this won’t come crashing down around him. Jughead kisses him harder, telling him in a language he thinks he can understand, maybe the only language they both speak fluently, that he cares, too. So much. Jughead will do anything for Archie, sacrifice anything, try to live up to the legend of Archie Andrews. </p><p>Jughead had been hearing a buzzing for a bit, which he figured was his nerves or heart or maybe even his soul, but then it gets louder and coalesces into Veronica’s voice, and then her hands come between them and pull them apart. </p><p>“That’s enough, boys,” she says. “I can’t have you passing out because you definitely didn’t come up for air once.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Ronnie,” Archie replies, and it seems like everything is about to slide back into its fucked up pattern. But then Archie keeps speaking. “I just…I think I need to…I’ve figured some things out. I think I should talk to Jughead alone. Can you and Betty give us some space?”</p><p>Veronica blinks. She shares one of her patented loaded looks with Betty, and they climb out of the hot tub.</p><p>Archie turns back to Jughead. Now, their positions are reversed, with Jughead sitting down and trying to catch his breath and Archie standing over him.</p><p>“Jughead, I think we should be together. Not me and Veronica, not you and Betty.” His face scrunches up. “Not that those aren’t great relationships, but I think this is right. It’s what I want.”</p><p>“It’s what I want, too.” Jughead pulls Archie’s face close to his. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”</p><p>Archie laughs at the ways the reference doesn’t fit, and the ways that it does, and kisses him.</p>
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